Chael Sonnen outlines how middleweight "can win 2024" as UFC's most exciting weight division
Chael Sonnen recently weighed in on some of the most exciting weight divisions in the UFC. He outlined how the middleweight division can surprise fans and be regarded as the most exciting by the end of the year.
'The American Gangster' spent the majority of his MMA career competing at 185 pounds, so it's understandable why he is so fond of the division. In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, he mentioned that it's important for the fighters competing at 185 pounds to recognize that they are essentially all business partners in a strong division:
"Do they [middleweights] understand that there's times that we're opponents but the whole time we're partners? Do they understand that our division is a business?...A lot of guys don't know that the guys in my division, that's my team." [3:48 - 4:18]
The former UFC middleweight title challenger also brought up that with the fighters currently competing at 185 pounds like Robert Whittaker, Paulo Costa, Israel Adesanya, and champion Sean Strickland, and potential bouts that can be booked this year, they can make a strong argument for being the most exciting division in the UFC, saying:
"I think that middleweight could headline more events than any other weight class. I think middleweight ultimately for the pay-per-view numbers that you're going to have, for the live gates you're going to have, I believe middleweight as a team, as a division, can win 2024." [4:27 - 4:46]
Whether Sonnen's assessment of the middleweight division being the most exciting in 2024 remains to be seen, as the highly anticipated bouts need to materialize first.
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Chael Sonnen believes Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler hasn't been signed
Chael Sonnen recently shared his thoughts on the long-awaited Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler bout, which has yet to be made official for Jun. 29th.
McGregor made headlines when he announced his comeback fight on social media and revealed that his opponent would be Chandler in a middleweight bout. During his appearance on ESPN's DC & RC show, Sonnen mentioned that he isn't confident that the bout has been signed, saying:
"All of these things are done for a very specific reason, including the tease of the weight class, it's a way out. If we can't come to an agreement and you're the one that's flinching, I win in perception, I can move on. There's just a lot happening here. This fight and this deal is not done." [10:26 - 10:41]
Check out the full video below: